


I See You

by BehindTheRobinsMask



Series: Till We're In The Sea [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Confessions, Eventual Romance, First Kiss, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 21:16:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18157133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindTheRobinsMask/pseuds/BehindTheRobinsMask
Summary: Hope wasn't something that Dick ever had but now, maybe he's ready for things to change.





	I See You

**Author's Note:**

> Song: I see you by Missio

Dick leaned his head against the couch, a small smile on his face, eyes following the movement of Jason’s lips as the younger read to him from his favorite book. Somehow, in the process of adjusting to his new life, Jason and Dick had started spending a lot of time together. It was unavoidable since they lived together and shared a bed on most nights because the younger wouldn’t allow Dick to sleep on the couch until the extra room used to store weapons was painted and turned into a proper living space. But while the ex-Talon was used to avoiding people on days where he felt off, when the demons of this past stepped into the light, he found himself finding comfort in Jason’s warmth, in his smile and the way his fingers traced across his palm.

“From the very beginning— from the first moment, I may almost say— of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form the groundwork of disapprobation on which succeeding events have built so immovable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry,” Jason narrated, using his voice to emote every line and give life to the characters in the book.

Dick shifted a bit until his head was nestled into a cushion, legs tucked under him to avoid kicking one of Lian’s many toys by mistake. While the younger had gone to sleep hours ago, her babysitters for the night were yet to clean up the mess created while trying to tire her out. Roy and Kori needed a day together, just the two of them, something to rekindle the flame and Jason was more than willing to look after Lian for them. Since Dick was home, he got roped in as well.

From playing Princess and Dragons – Dick being the Prince trapped in an ivory tower, Lian the princess who saved him from the evil dragon Jason – to building a whole kingdom with legos and making a mess of the kitchen by starting a food fight, Dick was exhausted. His body demanded rest and he struggled to keep his eyes open because he wasn’t ready to leave just yet. He wanted to spend a little more time just listening to Jason’s voice.

But then, the younger picked up his bookmark and closed the book, making Dick frown. “What happened?” he asked as Jason got to his feet, shoving Lian’s toys to the side for Roy to pick up after he woke up.

“Time for bed, Wonder Boy.”

“But I’m not sleepy,” Dick whined, pouting but Jason just rolled his eyes, holding out his hand for the older.

“Come on.”

With a sigh, Dick took Jason’s hand knowing that there was no use in fighting the younger. While he could lie to everyone else and get away with it (most of the time), Jason always saw through his bullshit. Fingers intertwined and Dick’s cheeks burning red, the younger walked him to his new room, a look of hesitation crossing his face as they reached the door.

“Have you been sleeping well?” Jason asked, his eyes not staring at the wooden door, lips pressing into an unhappy line.

Dick had moved into his new room a week ago which meant he no longer crashed next to Jason. Maybe, he had gotten used to sleeping next to Jason, of feeling his warmth soothe him through his nightmares but he would never admit it. Somethings were better left unsaid and this was one of them. “Yeah,” Dick answered and that was the truth. Therapy couldn’t teach him how to control his dreams but it did help put his mind to ease and he was sleeping much better.

“You’ll tell me if you need help right?” Jason asked, his eyes boring into Dick’s.

Dick smiled and squeezed Jason’s hand reassuringly. “I will.”

Hesitantly, Jason let go of Dick’s hand and stepped back. “Night, Dickie,” he whispered, gaze lingering.

“Night, Jay,” Dick said, turning towards his door.

As he looked away, Jason headed to his own room and this time Dick watched him go, staring at his broad back, knowing he could easily walk up to the younger, take his hand and never let go. Smiling, he looked away, stepped into his room and closed the door. Even though it was easy, there were some lines he couldn’t cross.

 

 

“And then Conner walked into a door because he was so busy staring at Tim’s ass,” Wally finished his story, leaving his friends a mess of laughter tears.

Clutching his stomach, Dick took a deep breath and wiped the tears forming in his eyes, a grin on his face which only got bigger when Wally winked at him.

Taking time out of their schedule, both Wally and Donna come down to Gotham to see Dick, something that they tried to do almost every week since the former Robin returned. Dick had expected his friends to be angry with him, to never forgive him for the choice of staying away, for letting them believe he was dead. They had been angry, they had chewed him out but they had also held him close and tried to understand his struggles making Dick wonder how he got so lucky.

“And Tim probably still has no idea. Am I right?” Donna asked and Wally shrugged ‘what-can-you-do’ kind of way. “For someone who claims to be a detective, he sure is slow.”

“I believe Kon-El simply needs to be honest about how he feels and tell Timothy,” Kori added.

“You try explaining that to him, princess.” Wally shook his head and then went back to devouring his burger.

Dick snorted and picked up his cup of tea. It was obvious to him that Tim had strong feelings for Conner but he also knew that the younger had convinced himself that his best friend and teammate would never think of him that way. He didn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with Conner by telling him how he really felt. Dick could try talking to him but Tim wouldn’t believe him.

“They really do behave like Richard and Jason, dancing around each other but never making a move,” Kori suddenly said, making Dick choke on his tea.

“W-what?” he choked out as Donna patted his back, biting her own lip to stop from laughing.

“We all see the way you look at each other, Richard. For a while I was sure that you both were together, especially since you slept in Jason’s room so many times but then Roy told me I was wrong,” Kori answered making Dick’s cheeks heat up.

“Th-there is nothing like that going on between me and Jason. We just get along well, that’s all,” Dick spluttered, his eyes going from Kori to Donna and Wally, trying to convince his friends of his side.

But the two just grinned at him and Dick knew that they wouldn’t let it go. Leaning back in his chair, he just sighed. Now would be a good time for a villain to go on a rampage so his friends would leave him alone for a while.

While Dick knew that his friends meant well, he didn’t want to think about the way butterflies started dancing in his stomach every time Jason smiled at him or the way his eyes always followed the younger unknowingly. As long as he didn’t put a label on his feelings, he could lie to himself and ignore the voice that urged him to hold onto Jason’s hand a little longer than needed. Falling for someone was a dangerous thing to do, taking advantage of someone’s kindness even worse and that’s exactly what Dick would be doing if he acted on the strange feelings that made him fly to Jason like a moth to a flame. The younger helped him because he was family and Dick didn’t want to put him in an awkward situation.

“So,” Donna started, breaking him out of his thoughts, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “You and Jason, huh?”

Dick let out a groan just as Wally burst out laughing, knowing there was no escaping this.

 

 

“So when are you going to ask Dick out?” Roy suddenly asked, making Jason stumble on his feet and drop the plates he had been carrying.

Catching himself, he turned around and shot his friend a look. “What the fuck, Harper?”

“Language,” Roy reprimanded even though Lian wasn’t home. He then looked up from the bow he was working on, meeting Jason’s eyes. “You like him, don’t you?”

Glaring, Jason dumped the plates on the dinner table, ignoring how his heartbeat had suddenly picked up speed. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

It was true that Jason cared for Dick, a lot. Sometimes, a bit too much. Before knowing his identity, it was curiosity that hooked him to the mysterious Talon and now, he wasn’t really sure why his mind was always thinking about the older, his ocean eyes, the way he fidgeted when he was nervous or the small, special smile that he reserved for people who really made him happy. He wasn’t supposed to notice all these things about Dick but his eyes always seemed to follow the former vigilante.

Up until now, he had been sure that he had kept his feelings for Dick hidden so Roy’s sudden question had shaken him up.

“We all see the way you look at each other, Jay. You’re not very secretive about it,” Roy answered, putting away the bow and turning his complete attention to his friend. “At first, I thought you’d sort things out on your own but with the way things are going, I worry that you guys won’t have your first kiss until you’re 80.”

“What if I don’t want to kiss him?” Jason asked even though he really did want to kiss Dick, wanted to know if his lips were really as soft as they looked.

“What if you cut the act and talked to me like a mature adult?” Roy retorted, making Jason frown.

Touche.

“Look, it doesn’t matter whether I like him or not. The only thing that matters is what he thinks of me and I don’t want to scare him away, Roy. I can’t make him awkward in his home. This is the first one he’s had and nothing should taint that.”

Roy hummed in response, taking in Jason’s words and nodding his head. “I get where you’re coming from but don’t you see the way he looks at you?”

Jason did notice the way Dick looked at him and that’s why he held back.

 

 

Jason had just lit his cigarette when someone landed behind him, footsteps to light to be Tim or Damian. Sighing, he turned around to face Batman who was watching him from a distance, scrutinizing his every move the way he did before launching into a lecture that could possibly (definitely) piss Jason off. Patrol had been slow tonight and all Jason wanted to do was relax but now his body was tense, preparing himself for whatever Bruce was about to say.

“What’s up, old man?” Jason asked.

Bruce stepped forward, closing the distance and snatched the cigarette from Jason’s hand and crushed it under his foot. “That’s not the best ways to start a conversation,” Jason pointed out, staring at his empty hand but Bruce, as always, ignored him.

“I heard about you and Dick,” Bruce started, his voice devoid of any kind of emotion as if he was talking about a case instead of his two sons. “I just wanted to let you know that I approve and that if you both need anything, I will do my best to help.”

“What are you talking about?” Jason asked, brows furrowed as he stared at Batman, wondering what the man could possibly be talking about.

Sighing exasperatedly, Bruce took off his cowl and turned towards Jason, looking unimpressed, the way he did when he used to catch him smoking out in the balcony when he was a kid. “I know you both are dating.”

“Excuse me, what?” Jason asked mouth falling open and he stared at his adoptive father with wide eyes (albeit he couldn’t see it behind the helmet). “Dick and I aren’t dating!”

“Jason you don’t have to lie-” Bruce started but he was cut off.

“I’m not lying! I might like the guy, yeah but I haven’t asked him out,” Jason said. His cheeks burned with embarrassment because the last person he wanted to have this conversation with was Bruce but life hated him and so here they were.

Silence settled between them and Jason shifted around awkwardly, hoping that Bruce would apologize for his mistakes – highly unlikely – and fly away to take care of Batman business. “May I ask why?” Bruce asked instead, making Jason groan.

“I really don’t think that’s any of your business, old man,” Jason snapped, ready to throw himself off a building if this conversation continued.

Bruce stared at the younger, unblinking and Jason tried to ignore how creepy that was. This was something his adoptive father did unknowingly as he tried to deduce behavior.

“I see,” Bruce said and Jason sighed in relief, thinking that discussion was finally over but he was wrong. “I don’t know the reason behind your hesitation but I do know that Dick makes you happy and you make him happy. What you do next is up to you.”

Jason sighed. “It’s not that easy.”

Getting onto the ledge, Bruce pulled his cowl over his face and took off out his grapple gun. “Sometimes, all you need is a little reassurance,” he said and took off, leaving Jason with more questions than answers.

Dramatic old man.

 

 

Dick lay in his bed, face buried in his pillow as he scrolled through his messages. After their last meeting, Donna and Wally had added him in a group chat with the rest of his friends. Dick had assumed that the chat would be inactive for the most part because everyone was busy with their day jobs as well as lives as vigilantes but from the second he had been added, his phone had been bombarded with messages. From Vic’s jokes, Donna and Wally’s constant teasing, the memes that Garfield sent and the occasional sarcastic comments from Raven, the stream of conversation was never ending.

Recently, Donna had started taking suggestions for good spots for a date. Even though she claimed it was for her, Dick knew better, especially when most of the suggestions were places Jason would like to go. God, his friends were so annoying at times.

Dick had just finished typing a colourful message, telling his friends to leave him alone when there was a knock. Locking his phone, he shoved it under his pillow just as the door opened and Jason peeked in. “You busy?” the younger asked and Dick shook his head.

“Everything okay?” he asked as Jason stepped in, chewing on his lower lip. He seemed to be worried about something.

“I was hoping we could talk,” Jason started and Dick’s stomach twisted with worry.

Fingers clenching the bedsheet, Dick smiled and nodded, hoping that Jason wouldn’t notice how anxious he was. The younger sat down next to him but didn’t say a word as his eyes stared at the horizontal wall and this worried Dick. He had never really seen Jason like this and the reason behind his behavior couldn’t be anything good.

“Dick I…” Jason started but then cut himself off as if he was searching for the right words to continue. Dick placed a hand on his, making the younger look at him and smiled, encouraging him to go on even though, deep down, he didn’t want the conversation to continue. “I know. I know how you feel about me.”

And that was enough to let Dick know his gut had been right. He had never wanted Jason to know. He never wanted anyone to know because he knew it couldn’t possibly end well. Tainted and broken, who could ever want him? A burden is all he could ever be to the people he loved and now, he was sure that Jason would let him go. There would be no place for him in this house.

“I understand,” Dick said, pulling away from the younger and averting his gaze, blinking away the tears stinging the back of his eye. The sooner this conversation ended, the sooner he could get away. “I’ll be out of here and never bother you again,” he rambled but before he could get up, Jason grabbed his hand.

“Dick, wait!” Jason started, his grip tightening as Dick tried to pull away.

He needed to go. He needed to go as far away as he possibly could. Stay out of Jason’s way until he learned how to bury his feelings. Stay out of Jason’s way until shame no longer killed him from the inside.

“Look at me!” the younger exclaimed, free hand grabbing Dick’s chin and forcing his eyes to meet Jason’s. “You have to calm down, okay? Calm down and hear me out before you start making plans to run away.”

Unable to say anything without breaking down, anxiety gnawing on his insides, Dick nodded and let Jason continue.

“I didn’t mean to scare you so I’m sorry,” Jason started, his fingers intertwining with Dick’s. “I know how you feel about me and that’s not a bad thing, Dickie. It’s not a bad thing because I feel the same about you.”

Dick’s breath got caught in his throat as he stared at Jason, having a hard time believing his words. There was just no way that Jason felt the same. He just couldn’t.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Jason chuckled, caressing Dick’s face with his free hand. “You’re smart, funny and you care so much for the people that you love. How can anyone not fall for you? Not to mention, you’re fucking beautiful. The perfect catch in my opinion.”

“Stop,” Dick whispered, his voice shaking as he spoke.

Jason leaned forward, resting his forehead against Dick’s. “It’s the truth, you know,” he whispered, rubbing small circles on the older’s cheek with his thumb. “I can’t promise you a happy ending because I don’t know what the future holds. I can’t promise that we won’t fight because we’re both headstrong, stubborn people with different views. All I can promise is to try my best to understand you, to never judge you without hearing you out and at the end of it all, to make you happy. If you will let me.”

Heart hammering in his chest, Dick chuckled, squeezing Jason’s hand. “That sounds like a marriage proposal, Jay,” he teased.

Jason grinned. “Nah. That’s comes after the seventh date where I get drunk out of my mind and put one of Lian’s plastic rings on your finger.”

“What makes you think I’ll say yes?” Dick grinned back.

“Just call it a vigilante’s intuition,” Jason answered and leaned in until their lips were a few inches apart. “Now, how about I kiss you now and take you out for our first official date tomorrow night?”

Dick was scared. God, he was so scared because it had been years since he had even held someone’s hand, let alone been in a relationship. Living the way he did, there was just no time for love in his life, especially because he didn’t want to subject anyone to the mess that was his mind. Now, here Jason was, ready to give him everything he never thought he’d have and Dick was sure this could only end in disaster. With him, it always did.

“Kiss me, Jay,” he whispered and Jason smiled before kissing him, soft and slow, holding him like he was precious.

Even as he melted into the kiss, Dick was scared, so very, very scared because the future was unpredictable and life could be so cruel. But as Jason held him close, he had faith in the man who had always believed in him. The man who cared for him and treated him like an independent individual instead of a broken doll. 

For once, Dick believed that maybe, just maybe, tomorrow would be kinder.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write this chapter for a while and I had the basic outline for it but no inspiration to actually finish it. Then one night, as I was about to head to bed, I found this amazing song in my youtube recommendations and here we are. Let me know what you guys think~


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